Towed body for representing a flying target

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a tow body for representing flying targets, having an infrared flare ( 3 ) situated at the rear of the tow body, the infrared flares being ejectable from the tow body and being pulled by the tow body by means of a reel-off towing cable during the burning time of the infrared flare.  
     According to the invention, the infrared flares ( 3 ) have an annular wing ( 1 ) at the rear.

[0001] The invention relates to a tow body for representing a flying target according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] In manned flying target representation, tow bodies have been equipped for some time with infrared flares (also called infrared tracking flares) and have been used for training and bombarding by missiles equipped with infrared IR guidance heads. These IR flares can be obtained on the market with a wide spectrum of activity and can be fixedly fastened to the rear area of the tow body.

[0003] Because the probability of being hit by missiles is very high, the target representation device (tow body) as a rule is lost during each use.

[0004] In order to ensure the reusability of the tow body, a tow body is disclosed in German Patent Document DE 198 14 936 C1, in the case of which the infrared flares are not fixedly installed at the rear of the tow body but can be ejected from the tow body and can be pulled by means of a reel-off towing cable during the burning time of the infrared flare by the tow body.

[0005] The reliable ejection and stabilization of the normally cylindrical IR tracking flare can be implemented only by means of an additional mounting of a stabilizing element on the towed flare. Without these measures, completely unstable flying conditions of the tracking flares will occur, so that a reliable conception by the weapons system cannot be guarantied. A special problem during the use of additional stabilizing elements on a burning TR tracking flare is the high gas generation as well as the necessity of a clean burning-up in so-called aerodynamic dead water.

[0006] Flying tests carried out by the applicant by means of a stabilization cone corresponding to the state of the art and mounted at the rear of the IR tracking flare exhibited highly unstable flying conditions (barrel rolling, etc.) here, particularly during the burning-up of the flare. The implemented tests and analyses showed that, as a result of the burning-up of the IR tracking flare, the vacuum required for the stabilization is neutralized behind the rear cone. This results in the observed unstable towing behavior.

[0007] From German Patent Document DE 26 13 953 B2, an altitude control for a tow body is known, in the case of which several identical, synchronously adjustable resistance bodies are provided which are distributed along the circumference of the tow body.

[0008] It is an object of the invention to provide an effective, geometrically small, high-temperature-stable stabilizing device, which is as light as possible, for the IR tracking flare with a simultaneous channelling of the current surrounding the flare burn-up.

[0009] This object is achieved by means of the object of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are the object of additional claims.

[0010] According to the invention, the IR flare has an annular wing at the rear. This ring advantageously consists of the thinnest high-temperature-stable steel sheet.

[0011] The suspension of the annular wing is implemented in the form of two bent preforms, individual surfaces of the bent preform being simultaneously constructed and effective as additional fins.

[0012] Thus, the entire stabilizing unit consists of only three components, permitting a series production at reasonable cost.

[0013] By means of the invention, a secure ejection and stabilization of the IR tracking flare is achieved.

[0014] The above-mentioned special demands with respect to the burning-up during the towed application can be fully met. The IR flare further developed according to the invention, in particular, exhibits an optimal burn-up action in the aerodynamic dead water behind the stabilization cone.

[0015] Additional advantages of the invention are contained in the following embodiments which will be explained in detail with reference to the figures.

[0016]FIG. 1 is a view of two different representations of the construction of an IR flare according to the invention.

[0017]FIG. 2 is a view of two different representations of the construction of a stabilizing unit consisting of the annular wing and its suspension;

[0018]FIG. 3 is a view of two different representations of the construction of another stabilizing unit consisting of the annular wing and its suspension.

[0019]FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of the IR flare in a view from the front (left) as well as a sectional view (right), the intersection plane extending through the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical IR flare 3. At its rear, the IR flare 3 has an annular wing 1 according to the invention which is arranged concentrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the IR flare 3. The annular wing 1 is constructed of thin (for example, 0.5 mm) high-temperature-stable steel sheet.

[0020] The suspension of the annular wing 1 is implemented by means of two identical bent preforms 2 (FIG. 2) which are welded, preferably laser-welded to the annular wing (Position 20) and are fastened to the IR flare 3 by means of a clamp 5. Partial surfaces of the bent preforms 2 are constructed and effective as additional fins 10. In the sectional views, in each case, on the right in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the fins 10 are rotated into the projection plane. A bent preform 2 as the suspension of the annular wing therefore comprises three surfaces: Two fins 10 as well as an intermediate piece which follows the cylindrical contour of the IR flare 3.

[0021] At their lower edge, the fins have free-cut areas 8 for the (not shown) ejection and ignition unit of the IR flare 3. As a result of these free-cut areas of the fins as well as the relatively far forward linking of the annular wing 1 by means of the clamp 5, the necessary accessibility to the pyrotechnic ejection and ignition unit can be ensured.

[0022]FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the stabilizing unit made of the annular wing and the annular wing suspension in two different representations. In comparison to the embodiment according to FIG. 2, optional measures are shown here for increasing the resistance, which optimize the towing and bum-up action. For this purpose, a wedge-shaped thickening 30 exists at the rear edge of the annular wing (right-hand representation, bottom). As an alternative, a transverse web 31 may be present at the rear edge of the annular wing (right-hand representation, top), which transverse web 31 is illustrated in the shown embodiment in that the rear edge is flanged to the inside or outside. Naturally, in reality, only one type of resistance increase exists at the same annular wing. 

1. Tow body for representing a flying target, having an infrared flare (3) situated at the rear of the tow body, the infrared flares being ejectable from the tow body and being pulled by the tow body by means of a reel-off towing cable during the burning time of the infrared flare, characterized in that the infrared flare (3) has an annular wing (1) at the rear.
 2. Tow body according to claim 1, characterized in that the suspension of the annular wing (1) is implemented in the form of two bent preforms (2), partial surfaces of the bent preforms being simultaneously constructed and effective as additional fins (10).
 3. Tow body according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the annular wing (1) is fastened by means of a clamp (5) at the infrared flare (3).
 4. Tow body according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a wedge-shaped thickening (30) or a transverse web (31) exists at the rearward edge of the annular wing (1). 